The War in Iraq is already a success

[Gamblor]

That a surprise attack on in October 1973 was delayed by the Mt. Hermon base is a testament to the strategic necessity of the Golan.

Most of the problems with the Yom Kippur war were because the IDF was unprepared. Imagine how long the war in Iraq would have lasted if Baghdad were a Persian Gulf City. Mt Hermon is not the centre of the country, but Tel Aviv and Jerusalem sure are, and I doubt a surprise attack could have been repelled if Mt Hermon were in Syrian hands in 1972.

What Mt Hermon does is act as an early warning system for the major population centres, as we all know the Syrian forces had no intention of taking prisoners of war. It is not valuable in and of itself. Israel releases 400 prisoners, and in exchange it receives 3 dead bodies and a drug-trafficker. Big shocker that Ron Arad hasn't been heard from.